Narrative:

The automatic marsden square function of the convective SIGMET product failed for an unknown period of time. Dispatchers were not notified immediately when this was discovered. When I discovered the problem I notified metropolitan and the sector manager and was told they were already working on it. The marsden square chart is not located on the desk and the chart in the web browser would not load. I had to pull up the route of each flight that I thought might be affected to send the information. Because of the time it took to gather the information, I can't guarantee that every flight received the information prior to transiting the areas. Using either the manual computer entry #1 or the manual computer entry #2 is very cumbersome and gives a very inferior product to the crews. To tailor the information to the flight requires extensive cut and paste techniques for many of the flts because many flts traverse multiple marsden squares. Also each manual computer entry #1 gives the sigmets for 1/3 of the country. No flts complained of any problem that might have been associated with the convective activity. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the air carrier has already increased dispatcher workload to account for the efficiency that was supposed to be gained from increased computer automation. The problem is that the computer automation is full of glitches and is prone to failure. This incident lasted over 5 hours. Even though the company meteorology department knew of the malfunction, the dispatchers and flight crew's were not notified. No extra dispatcher staffing was provided for the increased workload generated by the computer outage. In order to pull up convective activity manually, it takes at least 4 times the dispatcher time. During this outage the company released the trips with no convective activity information at all. It simply was not provided. The reporter notes there were, in fact, many thunderstorms present in the continental united states.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MAJOR ACR DISPATCHER COMPLAINS THAT COMPUTER AUTOMATION THAT IS SUPPOSED TO ALLOW HER TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE IS NOT RELIABLE AND IS PRONE TO BREAKDOWN.

Narrative: THE AUTO MARSDEN SQUARE FUNCTION OF THE CONVECTIVE SIGMET PRODUCT FAILED FOR AN UNKNOWN PERIOD OF TIME. DISPATCHERS WERE NOT NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY WHEN THIS WAS DISCOVERED. WHEN I DISCOVERED THE PROB I NOTIFIED METRO AND THE SECTOR MGR AND WAS TOLD THEY WERE ALREADY WORKING ON IT. THE MARSDEN SQUARE CHART IS NOT LOCATED ON THE DESK AND THE CHART IN THE WEB BROWSER WOULD NOT LOAD. I HAD TO PULL UP THE RTE OF EACH FLT THAT I THOUGHT MIGHT BE AFFECTED TO SEND THE INFO. BECAUSE OF THE TIME IT TOOK TO GATHER THE INFO, I CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT EVERY FLT RECEIVED THE INFO PRIOR TO TRANSITING THE AREAS. USING EITHER THE MANUAL COMPUTER ENTRY #1 OR THE MANUAL COMPUTER ENTRY #2 IS VERY CUMBERSOME AND GIVES A VERY INFERIOR PRODUCT TO THE CREWS. TO TAILOR THE INFO TO THE FLT REQUIRES EXTENSIVE CUT AND PASTE TECHNIQUES FOR MANY OF THE FLTS BECAUSE MANY FLTS TRAVERSE MULTIPLE MARSDEN SQUARES. ALSO EACH MANUAL COMPUTER ENTRY #1 GIVES THE SIGMETS FOR 1/3 OF THE COUNTRY. NO FLTS COMPLAINED OF ANY PROB THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ACR HAS ALREADY INCREASED DISPATCHER WORKLOAD TO ACCOUNT FOR THE EFFICIENCY THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE GAINED FROM INCREASED COMPUTER AUTOMATION. THE PROB IS THAT THE COMPUTER AUTOMATION IS FULL OF GLITCHES AND IS PRONE TO FAILURE. THIS INCIDENT LASTED OVER 5 HRS. EVEN THOUGH THE COMPANY METEOROLOGY DEPT KNEW OF THE MALFUNCTION, THE DISPATCHERS AND FLC'S WERE NOT NOTIFIED. NO EXTRA DISPATCHER STAFFING WAS PROVIDED FOR THE INCREASED WORKLOAD GENERATED BY THE COMPUTER OUTAGE. IN ORDER TO PULL UP CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY MANUALLY, IT TAKES AT LEAST 4 TIMES THE DISPATCHER TIME. DURING THIS OUTAGE THE COMPANY RELEASED THE TRIPS WITH NO CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY INFO AT ALL. IT SIMPLY WAS NOT PROVIDED. THE RPTR NOTES THERE WERE, IN FACT, MANY TSTMS PRESENT IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.